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You can’t force king on us –Kinsmen tell Bayelsa deputy gov

June 8, 2013 : Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

Agrisaba is a rural community in Nembe Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The development of the community, which is known for farming and fishing has, however, been assigned to the Mini-Ikensi Rural Development Authority.

Before crude oil was struck in commercial quantity in the community by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, the area which was administered by a king and his council of chiefs was known for its peace and quietness.

Little was known about its kingship and political transition as nobody outside the community, including the state government, showed much interest in the affairs of the community.

But oil and its financial benefits have changed the story of Agrisaba. The once peaceful community is gradually descending to chaos and violence. The kingship stool which was hitherto unattractive has surprisingly become a cash cow. All eyes are now on the stool and the government appears to have developed much interest in the leadership of the community.

Indeed, nothing had threatened the peace of the rural people more than the recent emergence of a new king in the community. After many months of intrigues and maneuvering that alegedly bore the stamp of the office of the deputy governor of the state, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.), one Means Samuel Walter was declared the king of the community.

The Agrisaba Council of Chiefs, a body constitutionally recognised as the kingmakers, has yet to understand how the new leader emerged in the community without its knowledge.

In fact, 15 out of the 18 members of the council including the Regent and Chairman of the council, Chief Douglas Awudulu, have insisted that the king was imposed on the community by the state government.

They claimed that forces from the state government threw caution to the wind, jettisoned the community’s tradition and constitution to foist their preferred candidate on the people.

The angry chiefs had through many documents, letters and litigation tried to stop the election. Prior to the controversial election, the chiefs through their legal firm, Icheghe, Icheghe & Co, dragged persons believed to have stage-managed the process to court.

A member of the council, Chief David Eleli; Chairman Mini/Ikensi Rural Development Authority, Mr. Kyspus Livingstone; Senior Special Assistant, Chieftaincy to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Dressman Dinipre; Jonah; and the Attorney-General of the state were included as defendants to the suit.

The chiefs in a letter addressed to Dinipre, who was believed to have acted the script of the government, questioned his right to conduct the election.

The letter, which was written on behalf of the chiefs by the legal firm, reminded Dinipre that the “Agrisaba-Mini Council of Chiefs is the body duly recognised under the native laws and custom of Agrisaba-Mini community as contained in the Agrisaba Council of Chiefs 2002 to elect and instal a new Obanema (king) in the event of a vacancy in the stool.”

The letter dated May 24 also reminded Dinipre of the pending suit challenging his power and authority to conduct the election and implored him in the spirit of the rule of law to stay action pending the determination of the motion on notice.

They chiefs, therefore, hoped to stop the election relying on the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal in the case between Ezegbu and A.T.B Limited.

The court had said, “Once a party is aware of a pending court process and whether the court has not given a specific injunctive order, parties are bound to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the court process. They should on no account resor to self-help”.

But Dinipre and other defendants claimed ignorance of the suit, went ahead and monitored the election that produced Walter as the king of the community.

The development has thrown the community into crisis. The group of 14 chiefs and youths in the community have rejected Walter as their king lamenting desecration of the king-making process. They argue that the process that produced Walter was alien to the provision of Section 7(2) of their constitution and in contradiction with other processes that had produced kings of neighbouring communities.

They recalled that the Amanyanabo of Nembe, Mingi and Bassambiri; the Ibe-Dabo of Ikensi clan and Oluasiri clan; Amanyanabo of Odioma, Twon Brass and Obenama of Okoroba were all elected by their chiefs.

In a letter addressed to the Agip General Manager, the council of chiefs disowned Walter and informed oil firm that the community had yet to elect its king. The letter dated May 28 and obtained by Saturday PUNCH asked Agip to disregard contrary information.

The letter, which was signed by Awudulu and 14 other chiefs, said, “The entire Agrisaba community have not elected a kingss as is being claimed by a section of the community.

“We, therefore, advise you to disregard any misguided information some people may communicate to you. Always enquire from the regent, chiefs council and oil and gas committee to get the correct information and do not be deceived by anyone.”

Furthermore in a statement they signed on May 28, the chiefs lamented the desecration of their tradition. They said it was unfortunate that Walter was declared as the winner of the election with 319 votes in a community that had about 6,500 accredited voters.

The chiefs said, “As a prelude to the rape of our tradition, a well-orchestrated campaign of calumny was launched against the leadership of the community made up of the chiefs, deputies, elders, the Community Development Committee and the youth executive with the connivance of some powerful people in the corridors of power in the state.

“We cried foul to these moves which in our estimation were tantamount to causing chaos and anarchy in the community. Certainly, this abomination which has been committed by these disgruntled elements using the absolute power of the government of the day under the security cover is a direct slap on the tradition of the ancient town of Agrisaba and will not go unpunished by the ancestors.

“If the government and those in the corridors of power mean well for the community, they should rather be thinking of projects that would touch the lives of the people which have eluded the community for long rather than get unduly involved in the matter of a king for the community.

“Never in the history of the community have we been so bombarded by an external influence who wants to impose a king on our community without due regard to the authority of the chiefs and elders on such matters.

“Oil has been struck in the community and we are not oblivious of the fact that interest in this sector is the driving factor. There is nowhere in the civilised world that an independent community will have its leadership imposed on it by external forces in the guise of maintaining peace of peace in a government that preaches restoration.”

Also, the youths under the aegis of the Agrisaba Youth Federation in a letter addressed to Agip distanced themselves from the election that produced Walter as the king.

The youths in the letter dated May 27 and signed by their President, Mr. Isaiah Afagha, and other executive members faulted the process that led to the election and said it was wrong for Walter to parade himself as the king.

But Dinipre explained that the government did not impose Walter on the community. He said the government only acted as a peacemaker when members of the community raised the alarm over threat to their security and provided enabling environment for the election to hold.

He said before the election, the government had summoned parties in the dispute and other stakeholders in the community, adding that it a consensus agreement was reached in the meeting that the election should be conducted to fill the vacant kingship stool.

Dinipre threatened to go to court if anybody attacked him personally and disparaged his name.

“The state government did not impose a king in the community. We just created an enabling environment for the election to hold.

“Everything that happened was as a result of the consensus in the community. We only intervened to avoid loss of lives and property in the election which was conducted and in which Walter emerged as the winner,” he said.

Also speaking, Walter said the election was transparent and in accordance with the rules of democracy. He said the media covered the entire process, adding that security agencies including the Commissioner of Police covered it. He recalled that the angry chiefs led by Awudulu had tried to prevail on the police to cancel the election but that the police boss advised Awudulu to go and canvass for votes.

“Before the election, we had disagreements. When we met with the state government, we resolved our differences and selected a date to meet in the community in order to decide on the modalities for the election.

“We were surprised that a day before the meeting, Awudulu and the other chiefs refused to show up. But we still met with the community, the CDC chairman and other chiefs and decided on the modalities and process of the election which was later held on May 25,” he said.

On whether the election was based on the recommendation of the community’s constitution, he declared that the document was invalid. He said the document was not recognised by members of the community.

“Any constitution that says only members of the chiefs’ council should elect a king for the entire community is invalid,” he said.

He also accused the aggrieved members of the council of constituting themselves into a cabal. He also asked those protesting his election to take their grievances to court.

But the angry chiefs said they had concluded plans to take their matter to court insisting that the election would not stand the test of time.

One can now see where Jonathan learn t his brand of mathematics . ,Here the Bayelsa deputy governor another Jonna fellow coincidentally has posited that 3 is greater than 15 just as the husband of Patience Jonathan worked out 16 to be greater than 19 .in the NGF poll.

Now the question is what exactly are these men doing in the corridors of power seeing their clear inability to sum up the mundane talk less being able to handle the complexities of leadership . No wonder its been one mis step after the other for the empty pretending to be the President of Nigeria.

Engr Ola

u are an illiterate. Pls learn how to post reasonable comments online

Omotolaaraujo

Kings are elected by people who think it’s important to have a King. Democracy is executed by the government. Kings and democracy don’t mix. If there is chaos and dispute, the police should stop offenders breaking the law. There should be no government officials involved in the election of a King.

DOUGLAS IJAH GIFT

I feel and reason in your direction,it is a rape of the people and the imposition will fail the court will not allow the desecration of the people custom for lucre.

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.